Embracing Change

GRNSW Releases Industry Supervision Strategy

Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has released its first ever Industry Supervision Strategy which clearly articulates the organisation’s regulatory approach to supervising greyhound racing in NSW.

The Industry Supervision Strategy outlines GRNSW’s regulatory purpose, strategic priorities and objectives in relation to industry supervision, as well as the supervisory activities the organisation will prioritise to achieve its desired regulatory outcomes.

GRNSW interim CEO Paul Newson said the Industry Supervision Strategy also provides an explanation of the regulatory toolkit GRNSW will use in its industry supervision and how the organisation will evaluate the success of the strategy.

“GRNSW must balance its commercial and regulatory roles, ensuring its strategic objectives are underpinned by best practice animal welfare policies and outcomes, and recognise that a strong focus on its regulatory role is required to preserve its social and regulatory licence and secure a sustainable and vibrant future for the industry,” Mr Newson said.

Intelligence led and risk-based regulatory approaches seek to be smarter about understanding the environment, known and emerging issues and indicators of risk to ensure regulatory resources can be efficiently applied to target the more serious non-compliance risks and suspected misconduct. Importantly robust industry supervision is partnered with clear communication from the regulator on rights and obligations that arise from participating in the industry and its expectations around standards of behaviour.

“In short the regulator must incentivise voluntary compliance and target more serious non-compliance and misconduct with escalating enforcement action. To safeguard the integrity of the industry, maintain community confidence and the associated social licence, where conduct falls short of requirements the regulator must take remedial and/or enforcement action to ensure wrongdoing incurs consequences, achieve specific and general deterrence and maintain confidence in the regulatory framework.

“An intelligence led and risk-based regulatory approach allows for the majority of responsible participants to make informed decisions around their participation and conduct and enjoy less intervention from GRNSW. Achieving increased levels of voluntary compliance though guidance and education material, incentivising positive compliance behaviours, communicating regulatory priorities and publishing outcomes from compliance activities and enforcement activity such as disciplinary action is a necessary function for a contemporary regulator.”

The release of the Industry Supervision Strategy follows the restructure and expansion of GRNSW’s Compliance Unit in 2015. This resulted in the establishment of the GRNSW intelligence and investigations teams to ensure it can identify and assess known and emerging risks and effectively target suspected non-compliance and wrongdoing.

GRNSW’s investigations team consists of highly experienced former State and Federal Police detectives and is dedicated to investigating more serious non-compliance and alleged misconduct to safeguard animal welfare and secure industry integrity.